Festival boosts fund for Castle in Clouds restoration

By BEA LEWIS

Monday

Sep 27, 2010 at 3:15 AM

While the venue lived up to its name, the fifth annual Fall Festival at Moultonborough's historic Castle in the Clouds attracted a good crowd on Sunday. Organizers said all proceeds from the event benefit the restoration fund for the 1914 Arts and Crafts-style castle built by shoe magnate Thomas Plante at a cost of $7 million.

Participants heard music from the Black Bear Moon African Rhythm Ensemble of New Hampton and Just Love to Sing based in Concord.

A variety of artists and craftspeople displayed their wares, ranging from pottery to Native American style flutes.

Michael Longrider of Milford, who is of Mohawk descent, was demonstrating his craft as he carved a face into a birch rolling pin he's picked up at a yard sale. He said he's been carving for four or five years, and started making flutes.

His wife, Jacki, said the festival has grown substantially, saying the prior year there were just six venders.

"It's a beautiful spot," she said of the mountaintop venue.

John Worthington, a summer resident of Ashland, was demonstrating natural reed chair caning. He recounted that he learned the craft about 25 years ago from the late Charlie Crooker of North Sandwich. Today, he offers chair-caning classes through Sandwich Home Industries.

"It helps keep the old art alive. Not to many people do it anymore," said Worthington as he wove a diamond- patterned seat in an antique chair for an appreciative crowd of onlookers.

"The secret is to go slow, have fun, and don't try to do it all at once," he said.

Worthington estimates it would take him about two full days of work to complete a chair, but says he likes to just work a couple hours at a time unless it's raining, and then he might spend the day caning.

Jean Galvin of Tuftonboro attracted festivalgoers to her booth showcasing her artwork, by playing the tin whistle with her friend Patti Nisvet. The women met through piping, Galvin said, noting they both work as postal workers, she at the Melvin Post Office and Nisvet at the neighboring Center Tuftonboro.

Galvin's art includes painting on feathers. She said she uses acrylic paint to make her art on turkey feathers.

"Very carefully, with tiny brushes and a lot of paint," Galvin replies when asked how she paints on feathers.

She said she collects most of her feathers in her own yard, left behind by wild turkeys.